Method and apparatus for adding or removing devices from a computer system without restarting

A computer system allowing insertion, configuration and operation of a device onto a bus of existing operational devices that have been previously configured for operation during start-up of the computer system, the computer system comprising:

• a port on the bus capable of accepting the device;
• a storage device containing an operating system for the computer system and also containing at least one device driver associated with the device to be inserted in the port;
• a central processing unit loading and executing the operating system during start-up of the computer system, the operating system pre-loading, but not activating, the device driver associated with the device to be inserted in the port;
• a thread process executing within the computer system detecting an insertion of the device in the port and activating the device driver for the device in response to the insertion.

A method for accessing a device inserted into a port of a bus in a computer system after start-up of the computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• pre-loading, during start-up of the computer system, at least one device driver for an un-inserted device for each type of device that can be inserted into the port;
• the at least one device driver remaining resident, but inactive, and not linked to an operating system of the computer system until the device is inserted into the port;
• detecting insertion of a device into the port after start-up of the computer system;
• detecting the type of device inserted into the port;
• and
• activating a pre-loaded device driver associated with the type of device inserted into the port to operate the device with the computer system.